Fastening means for the ends of spring members used in furniture and the like



Apnl 22, 1952 A. M. BANK 2,593,831

FASTENING MEANS FOR THE ENDS 0F s NG MEMBERS USED IN FURNITURE AND THE KE Filed May 9, 1947 INVENTOR. ALBERT M. BANK Patented Apr. 22, 1952 FASTENING MEANS FOR THE ENDS OF SPRING MEMBERS USED IN FURNITURE AND THE LIKE Albert M. Bank, Jersey City, N. J.

Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 747,039

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to spring elements and supports and methods of making the same. It

'is particularly directed to spring seats or backs for upholstered chairs, sofas and the like articles of furniture.

An object of this invention is to provide a spring support of the character described which shall be comfortable to use, soft and resilient and easy to assemble.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spring support of the character described comprising a frame and zig-zag steel wire spring elements anchored at the ends thereof to coplanar brackets fixed to opposite sides of the frame, said elements each being normally arched, with upwardly and outwardly inclined ends which are moved to horizontal planes when anchoring the element to the brackets, to cause the element to increase its arch and tension, thereby producing a spring which tends to flex back to its normal condition when compressed and then released.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved process of making a spring support, comprising, stretching a zig-zag spring element having a normally upwardly arched portion and upwardly and outwardly inclined end portions, and then moving said end portions into a single plane while the element is in stretched condition, to increase the arch of the arched portion, and further tensioning said arched portion.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a spring support of the character described including improved anchoring brackets comprising a fiat plate having a pair of spaced, aligned tongues struck up therefrom and extending in the same direction for engagement with the arms of the end loop of a zig-zag spring which are passed between said tongues and the plate, so that said tongues may be hammered down around said arms to firmly anchor the same.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong and durable spring support of the character'described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a compact and durable spring structure to-- gether with a method for its installation of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture easy to attach to a seat frame which will firmly and securely attach both ends of a zig-zag spring to a seat and the like frame, and which shall be practical and emcient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an untensioned spring element used in making a spring support embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a spring support embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line l-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one anchored end of a spring element.

' Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10

designates a spring support embodying. the'inv'ention. The same comprises a frame II which may be a seat frame or a back frame of a chair, sofa or like article of furniture. Said frame H comprises side walls I2 interconnected by opposite Walls l3. Fixed to walls [3 are walls l4 having coplanar surfaces l5. Attached to surfaces |5 are pairs of similar, symmetrical brackets lfi. Each pair of brackets serves to anchor or attach to the frame, a spring element l1 shown in untensioned, normal condition, in Fig. 1.

Each bracket It comprises a flat plate 19 of metal or any other suitable material. Plate I9 may be of rectangular shape. Struck from plate 59 to the same side thereof are a pair of tongues 20 and 2!. Said tongues are in alignment and extend in the same direction, that is, toward the outer sides I ia of walls It.

The outer tongue 2! is longer than the inner tongue 2 Before the spring is attached, the tongues are in a plane parallel to the plate l9. Tongue 2! has a hole 22 for a nail. Plate I9 is formed with a pair of nail holes 25 spaced on opposite sides of tongue 2| for nails 26 used for attaching the bracket to wall 14. Struck up tongues 20, 2| form holes 21, 28 in plate l9.

Said tongues 20, 2! furthermore comprise portions 29, 30 respectively projecting at right angles from said plate, and end portions 29a, 30a, extending in the same plane from portions 29, 30 respectively. The distance of portions 29a, 30a from plate I!) is substantially equal to the diameter of the wire of which spring element I! is made.

Element I7 is made of preferably round steel wire stock. It is of zig-zag shape and has an intermediate arched portion 35, and outwardly extending end loops 36 inclined to the same side as the arched portion 35.

Each end loop 36 includes an outer arm 31, a next to the last arm 38, and an interconnectin curved portion 39.

Arms 31 engages between tongues 2| and plate l9. Arms 38 engage between tongues 28 and plate [9.

In attaching thespring element to a pair of brackets It, the spring element is stretched and the end loops are pressed into coplanar positions, thereby increasing the arch of portion 35.

Preferably one end loop 35 is engaged with one bracket [6, and the spring element 1.1 is then pulled and the other loop 36 engaged with the other bracket. The tongues 20, 2| may then be hammered down. A nail 40 may be driven through a nail hole 22 in tongue 2!. Any suitable number of spring elements I'imay ice-provided.

It will be noted that element ll has a nor- ,mally arched portion 35 and inclined abutment is then released, the arched portion of the spring tends to go back to its normally attached tensio'ned'p'osition, thereby ensuring a resilient, comfortable spring'action.

It can now'be readily understood that I have produced a new fastening means for the ends of "'zlg-zag springs when securing the same to a -wooden frame of furniture.

The particular springsused are symmetrical in that the zig-zag p rtions of the spring are uniform throughout the "full length of'the'springand each end comprises :a U-"shaped'portion extending outwardly and upwardlyat an'obtu'se angle to the main body of ithfeispring. 'Ih'e'apex of theangle constitutes a fulcrum wherebythe'terminal U-shape'd portion maybe pressed downwardly beneath the tongue 2] of the bracket l5, and thereby slightly in- .crease the tension of the "arched portion 35 of the-spring. It is to be noted that the outer le 'of the terminal U-shaped member is received 'underthe'tongue '2! "while the inner 'leg of the terminal'member ls'received under the lug 29 of the bracket 1 6.

1t also-is to be noted that each bracket it has tosome extent the quality of universality in that thebracket could be arranged oppositely to that disclosed in the drawing "so that the nails 26 driven into the frame member may be located a greater distance from the outer edge of the member. Thismanner of use would insureto a greater extent prevention of the splitting of the frame member under the "pushing stress of the spring I when inuse. No matter how the brackets' are assembled the tongues 20 and 2| should shaped member.

minal member would press against the integral portions of the tongues instead of creating a tendency to open the tongues when the sprin is under its greatest pushing stress. My new bracket lends itself to diiferent ways of using it.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described,

and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

-It will thus be 'seen that there is provided a deviceimwhich the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet theconditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as ,yarious changes might be made in the embodimentabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting .SEIISQ.

the major portion of the spring whereby the anglexdefined"constitutes a fulcrum so that in assembling the terminal may be pressed downwardly to increase 'the'tension of the vmajor'portion of theispring, in combination with a bracket at each end of 'said'springmem-ber, each bracket com prising a base havingimeans whereby it may be secured to 'a frame and also .having bendable upturned tongues extending from the base, the

free "terminal portions of said tongues being c0- planar with each other and parallel to the base of the bracket, said U-shaped terminal of said spring having its legs .located respectively beneath said tongues when in its assembled con- P dition.

ALBERT M. BANK.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,123,888 Freund July 19, 1 938 2,257,633 Bank Sept. 30, 1941 2,341,419 Bank Feb. 8, 1944 2,463,110 Johnson Mar. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4 25.471 Great Britain Apr. 6, 19-36 

